![]() ![]() You’ve probably noticed that during the opening credits, the music gives you a sample of the emotional content of the whole movie. Think of an epic movie you’ve watched many times. Think of Your Introduction Like an Overture Avoid Daisy-chains of Stand-alone Paragraphsĥ. Aim to cite several different sources in each paragraph (and sometimes, in the same sentence).Ĥ. What matters most is that every paragraph cites sources. In the image below, I’ve flagged all the places where this author cited evidence. See “ Academic Argument: Evidence-based Defense of a Non-Obvious Position“) (Note: An academic argument is nothing like name-calling spats between siblings or political opponents. We make our arguments convincing by citing evidence. Your goal is to use details from the sources you chose, in order to develop an original argument. Cite Evidence to Develop Your ArgumentĪt the college level, your goal is not simply to demonstrate you understand what your instructor told you you read. We keep returning it as we transition from the intro to the body, from one body paragraph to the next, and from the last body paragraph to the conclusion.ģ. Every paragraph in the paper references that main idea. That main idea (which I’ve highlighted here in green) gives shape to your paper. Keep yourself on track, and keep your reader oriented, by making sure that each paragraph engages meaningfully with the single main idea that your paper develops. If you want to write a paper on a topic worthy of academic study, but you sit down and start churning out paragraphs without a plan, you’ll start wandering from idea to idea. A weak one is a daisy chain of one-paragraph mini-papers. Gide Your Paper with a Controlling IdeaĪ good college paper develops a single idea across multiple paragraphs. We’re just focusing on the overall shape of the paper.) 2. When we write a 5-page MLA-style research paper, we want to produce the right amount of text, with page numbers, a title block, indented paragraphs, maybe a few indented block quotations, and a final Works Cited list (starting at the top of a sixth page). Recap: Shape of a Weak Academic Paper vs.Introduce your reader to the points your paper will make.Think of your introduction like an overture.Avoid daisy chains of stand-alone paragraphs.Cite evidence to develop your argument.Guide your paper with a controlling idea.For the moment, ignore the content (let’s talk structure).(If you aren’t a visual learner, there’s also a section that makes the same point using the analogy of a musical overture.) This page presents the shape of an academic paper, using color-coded images to highlight how the different components of a well-crafted composition might interact. However, a college research paper calls for a different kind of writing. If you are used to writing personal essays, or churning out paragraph-long responses to each assigned reading, those writing skills probably helped you do well in high school. ![]()
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